President Obama may have never directly apologized himself for the US attack on Pakistan in November which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finally did today, and apparently that’s close enough for the Zardari government, which is reopening supply lines to occupied Afghanistan.
The supply route was closed almost immediately after the November killings, and US officials have said it has cost them an extra $100 million a month to send supplies through the more expensive northern route. Only yesterday the Pentagon was seeking more money for the war on these grounds.
Pakistan’s parliament initially conditioned the reopening of the border on an apology from Obama and the end to US drone strikes. The US ruled out both and then rejected a compromise deal for a transport fee as “price gouging.” Pakistan has promised not to bring back the fee, according to Clinton.
So in the end a nice cheap apology, given half a year after the fact, was enough to resolve the issue. This is likely to be enormously unpopular in Pakistan, where massive anti-US protests have become growingly common and opposition parties are positioning themselves as less pliable on the US issue for the upcoming elections.
Yet, we here NOTHING from the mainstream about these massive anti-us protests in Pakistan and elsewhere where the US props up brutal regimes, but if a few DOZEN anti-Putin protesters were to show up on the streets of Moscow, the headlines would be booming over at Yahoo, Reuters, CNN, Fox & ABC……. What a useless propaganda outfit our media has become.
Did it hurt that much Obama?
hahahaha they finally caved. Worthless.
It's a scam. The apology cost nothing, but now they get to keep droning Pakistan.
ummmm… like they weren't anyways?
It actually is significant. Bush Sr refused to apologize for the US navy shooting down a civilian Iranian airliner. The emperor is supposed to be God like in his powers. You don't make mistakes. It is your place to rule and for the rest of the globe to follow. You NEVER SHOW WEAKNESS when you are the KING OF THE HILL. The empire just showed weakness. LOL. Great sign actually. I hope we are close to total and complete collapse. What a great thing for the world that would be.
Pretty expensive 'accident'. WOnder if anybody got court martialed or reprimanded for such a humongous booboo? I mean, a little accountability might have reduced the rage a tad.
Ms Clinton, if I'm not mistaken, represents America. Her appology is just as valid as if Obama had apologized. The rest id bullshit.
Ya sure. US (clinton) sorry now open the bloody road.
So what happens now to the offer he couldn’t refuse that UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond received on his visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in February, one that was so abjectly favorable to the ruling Karimov family? Can it be torn up? PM Cameron would like that.
And will NATO, the IMF, the EU and US also be off the hook? Can they cease their furious backpedaling from the sanctions, embargos, and general disenchantment with Uzbekistan they imposed after Uzbek troops in Andijan opened fire on pro-democracy protesters?
NATO’s deal was concluded at the beginning of June. A week may be a long time in politics but it would seem that a month is much shorter.
Little appology and some cash to Mr. 10% Zardari. Or perhaps a safe haven once he and his entourage have to pack their bags again, and wait for another chance at plundering Pakistan.
I second you on that,but another chance I don't think so.it's not because the Nation has risen to the occasion,that has to be seen yet,but because inside Pakistan CIVIL VOLCANO seems erupting soon and God knows what will it burry beneath that lava.
A stupid decision by the Pakistan government. It simply aids the warmongers in Washington pursue their occupation and terror in Afghanistan.
What should one make of the Pakistan government? It allows the U.S. murder it's citizens and use Pakistan as a supply line for an imperial war largely directed against Muslim countries. Will an apology bring the dead soldiers back to life? What's in it for Pakistan? A few million dollars in bribes perhaps? What a pathetic excuse of a government!
Agreed what you said,it gives me the strength to express more disgust about my Army and let alone Govt,that has zero meanings in its existance.Let the USA keep slaughtering more and more of us.if not killed by the US Drones this much deserving and punisable by death Nation of Pakistan will face it by the deeds of their Army and govt anyway.Like Leaders like Nation If I may say rightly.in Pakistan case govt specifically includes Army too.
just to remind all the west one thing the people of Pakistan are very hard working,peaceful people and they do not live on bribed and aided DOLLARS.so please spare them when you talk about cutting aid and supply of BUCKS.We ask you to please cut that supply to our govt and Army.Please.
No argument here… seen the comedic proceedings concerning Gilani's successor? The ruling party couldn't find a single pol who wasn't in a court case.
It's pretty clear that the Zardari government doesn't represent Pakistan. It seems unlikely that a simple apology from Clinton would be enough to "repair" relations. Stands to reason that there were bribes and/or blackmail as well.
Is about time for Hillary Clinton to be sacked by Obama, if it was not about a kind of “political” friendship favoritism – nepotism from Obama to Billy, Hillary Clinton would probably working for Jams Baker law firm making more oil deals with Saudis and UAE or for that matter the English monarchism.
Hillary eats crow. Priceless.
So the drones will continue? I guess words, and useless words at that, are more important than lives.
I listened carefully to Mrs. Clinton's apology on the news. There was no apology.
The statement was very carefully worded to say things like "the US was sorry for what happened", expressing remorse to the families of the victims, and other similarly worded statements that avoided any mention AT ALL of US responsibility for the killings.
The Pakistanis were conned, and most likely pressured to accept the "apology".
Naturally, nothing much said about the "transport fee" that the Pakistani regime charges the USA and NATO per truck for passage through the country, other than a "promise" not to bring it back. I read somewhere that the secret agreed upon fee is $5,000 per load.
The reason the US apologized has to do with Russia. Russia provides the northern route for Afghanistan and both US and Russia are at odds over missile defense and especially Syria. The US apologized to Pakistan so Russia wouldn't have much leverage for important issues like Syria.
http://bostonherald.com/news/international/asia_p…
"WASHINGTON — A key Russian legislator warns that his government could withdraw permission for the United States to supply its troops in Afghanistan through Russia if the two countries can’t resolve their differences over missile defense."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/us-defends-russian-arms-…
"The Pentagon said it could not confirm that any new Russian arms shipments had arrived in Syria.
Defense officials also denied that US reliance on Russian territory for a northern supply route into Afghanistan could make Washington reluctant to push Moscow too hard over the violence in Syria."
Whatever happened to a comment that said, “She came, she saw, she apologized”, as well as my comment thereto? Vanished like a fart in the wind?